How Did I Get So Lucky?
by Free10Byrd
Summary: Robyn is on the way to superstardom. But the pathway of her life seems to be leading her away from fame and fortune. Down a road of torture and love triangles.
1. Chapter 1

"Excited to be playing your home town?" Candace, my stage manager, asked as I waited for my cue.

"Yea, it's great to be back." I smiled, took a deep breath and shook myself. Then, I jogged onstage as the big voice announced me. "Hey, New Jersey! Are you ready to rock?"

Almost an hour later, I thanked the huge crowd and ran off.

"Autographing starts in fifteen." Someone shouted as my team rushed me to my dressing room.

Haley swept my hair up, while Jason brushed my face with a non-shine powder. All Alyssa did was take off my gloves and stick them in my back pocket.

After a three hour meet and greet, I was finally on the last person.

"Hi!" I greeted her. "What's your name?"

"Maddie." The sweet, little girl whispered and put her head down.

Smiling, I pulled the gloves from my back pocket and handed them to her. "Well, Maddie, since you're my last fan for the night, I want you to have these."

Her little eyes got wide, and then her face broke into a smile. "Oh! Thank you Robyn!"

I gave her a hug and watched her walk away with her mother.

"Well, Ms. Shilas, that was very nice of you."

Spinning to my right, I saw Gene, my boyfriend, waiting for me. I gave a huge smile, and then launched myself into his arms.

"Oh, my God! I've missed you!" I hugged his neck, then leaned back and kissed him.

"Let's go home." Setting me down, he took my hand and started pulling me toward the doors.

After refusing a hotel room and a limo ride, we finally got home at 2:27 a.m. His apartment was set in a cozy building, just outside city limits. Before I became famous, I lived with him because my mom moved to Florida.

I quickly changed into a pair of his shorts and my tank top, and then climbed into bed beside him. Sighing, he pulled me closer and I snuggled into his chest.

"How long do I get to keep you this time?"

"Tonight and almost all day tomorrow, I'm all yours. I leave for New York tomorrow night." I whispered, almost afraid for the answer.

But he didn't say anything, so I let my eyes close.

The next morning I woke up in the same position. Tightening my fists in his t-shirt, I let out a contented sigh.

"I like the sound of that. We should stay like this all day."

I let out a laugh, and then heard his stomach growl. "I agree, but it sounds like your tummy doesn't."

Chuckling, he ran a finger down my spine. "It will stop. I never eat breakfast anymore."

I rolled my eyes and let it drop. "I've missed this; waking up in your arms, smelling you every time I breathe in."

"So have I." He kissed me on the mouth, and then started making his way down my cheek and jaw.

His hands made their way underneath my top and started upward. He rolled us over so I was on bottom and kissed me again. When his hands went lower, I broke the kiss.

"Gene…" Biting my lip, I felt him pause.

"I won't hurt you, I promise." He murmured against my neck.

He started kissing again and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of my shorts. Before he could get them off, I pushed him away and got off the bed.

"I'm sorry, I can't." I whispered, and then left the bedroom.

He followed me, grabbing my upper arm and spinning me back to face him.

"Why not? It's not a hard choice." He demanded with his teeth clenched.

"Ow, Gene, you're hurting me." I glanced at his grip on my arm.

"Just tell me why not!" He yelled.

Getting angry, I yelled back. "Because sex is sacred! Not until after marriage."

"And yet you won't marry me?"

My eyes widened and I whimpered when he grabbed the other arm and started shaking me. "Stop! Please, stop!"

"Why won't you marry me?" He was still yelling.

"Because, I'm only seventeen! That's way too young to get married!" I choked out so he would stop. Tears were forming in my eyes, but I told myself that I wouldn't give in to them.

I saw anger flash in his eyes, then suddenly he let go and I fell.

His voice was softer this time. "You don't love me do you?"

I couldn't answer, just scooted backward so I was sitting in the corner. Drawing my knees up, I wrapped my arms around them and rocked.

"After 2 and ½ years? You still don't love me?" He sounded dumbstruck and shocked.

I couldn't hurt him, or lie, so I just stayed quiet. After a few minutes, he disappeared into the bedroom, only to come back out fully dressed in his work uniform. Grabbing his keys off the counter, he walked out the door.

When I was sure he was gone, I quickly showered, fixed myself and then called Angie, my right-hand, for the limo. Then, I found paper and a pen and wrote:

_Gene, _

_I'm sorry I hurt you, but I just don't love you. I like you immensely and the two and a half years were great but… I'm sorry I couldn't stick around and tell you in person, but I didn't want to be hurt anymore than you already have hurt me, physically._

_Yes, Gene, you hurt me and that I cannot forgive. Even now as I write this, I have to make sure the tops of my arms are covered. No, I won't say anything to anyone, if you promise to leave me alone and let go. Please delete my number from your phone and don't try to call or write or anything, at all._

_Again, I'm sorry I don't love you, but sex won't help because of how I view it. To me, it's not sex, its making love. I wish you could understand that, I really do._

_Anyways, good luck in life and realize this is the last time you will hear from me._

_My regards,_

_Robyn_

Sighing, I laid the letter on the table and grabbed my bags. Pausing, I dug out my keys and detached the door key, then placed it on top of the paper. I heard the almost silent knock and peeped through the eye hole. Seeing it was James, I opened the door and handed him my bags. I shut the door behind me, after I locked it, and followed James to the car.

The ride to the airport was filled with memories. The first time I met Gene, our first date, our first kiss. The day we took a whole weekend off to help my mom move to Florida, and spent almost the whole time on the beaches. The first night of living together, our play day in the snow, sledding and throwing snowballs at each other. Then, the nice dinner he bought on the day I signed my recording contract. And the night I left for tour. Most recently, the night he showed up backstage. The happiness I felt waking in his arms this morning.

But all those happy memories and more couldn't beat out the look in his eyes an hour ago when I refused sex. The hurt and the anger of him realizing I don't love him.

Sighing, I pushed him from my mind. Gene is no longer in my life.


	2. Chapter 2

I had decided he wouldn't be in my life, but he thought otherwise. Numerous phone calls and texts that had apologies didn't stop coming. For four days, I ignored it. I had enough to keep me busy without having to talk to him. A show, in a different city each night, was more than enough to keep my mind off of him.

Almost a week later, I was going over the moves for my concert in Texas, when he caught my eye. He was sitting in the stands, watching everything I did. I froze in place, and then told the back-up dancers to take five.

"Robyn? What are you doing?" Candace asked.

"I'm sorry. I just need a small break." I gave an innocent smile and jumped off stage.

He stood and slowly made his way to me.

"What are you doing here, Gene?" I demanded, putting a hand on my hip.

"You haven't been answering my calls of texts." He kept walking, but I didn't want to show fear, so I stuck my chin out and stayed put.

"I assume you got my letter?"

"I miss you. I want you to come home." He stopped, but not until our hips were almost touching.

"Gene, I meant what I wrote in that letter. I can't be with you, because I don't love you." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "You don't deserve to be hurt like that."

He didn't say anything, just looked at me. His eyes were distant, cold and black.

"Gene!" I said, a little louder this time. "You can't just…"

I was at a loss for words, which rarely happens. I looked up into his eyes, and was reminded of why I liked him in the first place. I heard the door open, but couldn't look away from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Different POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We stopped just inside the door, seeing Robyn with a guy. They stood looking at each other, neither saying a word. When his hand came up to her hair, her eyes widened and she visibly cringed.

"Gene, stop." She took a step back, and then brought her chin up as if saying, 'take your best shot'.

The guy, Gene, murmured something that I couldn't quite make out. Then he finished raising his hand and stroked her cheek. She started to back away, but stopped as if she was caught.

"Come on guys, I think this is private." I said to my brothers, and then turned to leave.

"I think you need to leave." I heard Robyn say, so I turned back around.

His hand was now around her upper arm and he pulled her closer to him. This time I heard him clearly.

"You are mine and always will be."

One of the guys nudged me, but I waited for her reply.

"No, Gene. That changed when you almost broke my arms last week." Her voice was quiet but full of authority. "Now, I would like you to leave and not come back. I have no wish to see or speak to you again."

That's when I started walking down the stage ramp, my brothers following me.

Gene grabbed her other arm, but before he could do anything else, I spoke up.

"I think the lady asked you to leave." I jumped off the stage and went to stand beside Robyn.

Gene was just about the same height as me, except I had more muscles. It wasn't hard to stand up to him. I placed a hand on top of his and looked at him evenly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Robyn look at me curiously, probably because we had never met before. But I hope she had enough sense to at least act like she did.

Gene looked at me, narrowed his eyes, and let go of her. She stumbled and I steadied her, pushing her half behind me. I felt her right hand fist in the back of my t-shirt and her left hand lightly holding my forearm, while her nose was practically in my shoulder.  
Gene looked at me again, then down to her, and then turned and walked away. I watched him go, making sureI heard the doors close all the way.  
I turned to her, searching her eyes to make sure she was ok.  
"Thank you." She said so low it was almost a whisper.  
I nodded once.  
I didn't know her story with Gene, but I intended to find out. I also intended to get to know her. 


	3. Chapter 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Different POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, I'm trying really hard not to act like a crazed fan!" She gave a little squeak and a huge smile.

I smiled and felt the heat creep up face.

"Yea… Same here." I rubbed the back of my neck, and then looked up at her. "My brothers are big fans, too."

She spun around and looked at them. The smiled really big and did a little wave.

"So, you're Robyn Shilas?" Joe asked.

She nodded. "And you're the Jonas Brothers?"

Her voice elevated in pitch as she finished the question and Kevin laughed.

"Yes, we are." He told her, and then shook her hand.

"Yea, we kinda wanted to ask you something." Joe said, his cheeks burning red, which was rare for him.

"We wanted to know if you'd like to do a song with us. Kind of a duet…" I trailed off as she turned back to look at me.

"Sure."

"Really? Well that was easier than I thought it would be." Kevin smiled and gave Joe a little punch on the arm.

She rolled her eyes, a gesture she wasn't aware I saw, and then looked at me. When she realized she had been caught in the act, her eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights. I raised my eyebrow at her and she gave a small shrug.

"You thought I'd be difficult?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We were fully the prepared to beg and plead." Joe told her.

"Oh, I see." She laughed. "So, what's the song?"

"Well…" Kevin trailed off.

"We were also fully prepared to beg to conspire with you on thoughts for a song." I finished for him.

Her laugh was a little louder this time. Then she nodded and said, "Ok, when and where, boys?"

I smiled big, knowing this was just the beginning. "How about we exchange numbers, that way you can text us and tell when you are free."

After we all had her number and she had all of ours, she looked around and sighed.

"Back to work?" Kevin asked, dialing a number on his phone

"Yep." She looked at me. "But it was awesome meeting you guys, even if you saved me."

The way she said 'saved' had me concerned. I held her eyes for a few seconds before Kevin called for me to go.

"Ok!" I called to him.

"It was nice meeting you, Robyn." Joe said, shook her hand and then ran to where Kevin was on the phone.

She smiled and watched him for a minute before turning to me. "Thank you, again."

"Sure, and you know, don't hesitate to call. I can save you more than once." I winked and she laughed.

"I'll text you after the show and let you know what's going on."

"Sounds good." I said, then smiled and started to walk away.

"Nick? Thanks again."

I gave a little wave without turning around and continued up the ramp to my brothers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Robyn's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I held true to my word. After the concert, I texted each of the boys' phones with:

*Apparently tomorrow is my last night in Texas.*

I sat heavily on the couch, there was no meet and greet tonight, and put my head back. Shortly after, my phone vibrated angrily.

Kevin: I'm not really the writing type, so you can make plans with Nick or Joe. Sorry!

Me: It's okay.

Nick: Hmmm, us too.

Me: Where do you go next?

Nick: Arizona! Whoo! Not.

Me: Lol. You don't like Arizona?

Nick: Not at all.

Me: Hmm, wonder why? So how is tomorrow night?

Nick: That's good with me. Say six-ish? My brothers aren't really writers, so it doesn't matter to them.

Me: Lol. That's what Kevin just told me. And that sounds good.

Nick: Okay, we are staying at the Rialto on Main Street.

Me: Room number?

Nick: 1504. Top floor, last room on the right.

Me: Okay, I'll be there. So I'm not much into texting, is it okay if I call you after I change clothes?

Nick: Sure. J I'd like that.

I put the phone on the couch and pulled myself up. Since I wasn't planning on going anywhere, I just threw on a v-neck t-shirt and a pair of dark blue sweats. I threw myself back on the couch and grabbed my phone, hesitating before opening it and finding Nick's name in the contacts. I pressed talk before I could chicken out.

He answered on the second ring. "Hey!"

"Hi."

"Hi." I smiled and blushed. Then mentally slapped myself.

"Ok, so you'll never guess what I'm doing…" He trailed off.

"Hmmm, do I have to guess?"

"Yes!" he said immediately.

I laughed and said, "Acting like Peter Pan?"

His end of the line was quiet for a minute, and then he busted out laughing. "What? Where did that come from?"

"Pshh, I don't know!" I laughed with him. "I just thought, 'oh, he has that song about Peter Pan, maybe he's role playing'."

He laughed again. "No, I'm talking to my mom. Well, I was. But now I'm not. I'm sitting on my bed looking out the window at the amazing city lights."

I snorted a little. "And I needed to know that why?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because my mom was interrogating me about what happened this afternoon?"

"Well, yea okay now I'm glad you told me."

"Yea, I bet you are!"

This started another round of giggles and I had to breathe deep before I could say, "So, what did happen this afternoon?"

"You mean on a serious note? Well, I felt like you needed help and that you were scared of him, so I decided to step in."

"I'm glad you did." All of a sudden the fun in the conversation was gone.

"Me, too."

"So, how will I repay you?"

He was quiet for a long time. Right as I was about to ask if he was still there, he spoke up. "How about dinner?"


	4. Chapter 4

Biting my lip, I wasn't sure what to say. I hadn't gone on a date, besides Gene, and I honestly wasn't sure if I would be okay. I wanted to, but I wasn't sure.

I guess he took my silence as a bad sign, because he said, "Okay, maybe not. Just writing a song then?"

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Nick. I just broke up with Gene a little over a week ago. I don't think I'm ready to move on yet."

"It's okay, I understand."

"No, Nick I really want to go out on a date with you but…" I sighed again. "I don't know how to explain it. But as soon as I'm ready to move on, you'll be the first to know. I promise."

I could literally hear the breath whoosh out of him. "Okay, that sounds good to me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He commanded. "Hey, how old are you?"

"Oh, so you want to play twenty questions now?" I asked; glad to be back to the fun part.

"Yep. So?" He prompted.

"Seventeen. I'll be eighteen in 5 months."

"November. What day?"

"24th."

"I'll remember. Okay, favorite color?"

"Pink."

He scoffed. "Typical girl!"

"So what? I like pink. It will change next week anyways."

"Ha. OK, let's see…" He thought for a moment. "Favorite band?"

"Ok, do you want the fan answer that will please you or the Robyn-doesn't-care-if-anyone-doesn't-like-this-band answer?"

He gave a short laugh. "I'd like the Robyn answer, please."

"Well, I really like We the Kings but I also really like Poison."

"Really? You didn't strike me as a vintage lover."

"Yep." I got up off the couch and grabbed the room service menu.

"What are you doing right now?" He asked.

"Trying to decide if I want a hamburger or pizza."

"Wow. That's definitely not what I expected." He gave a deep chuckle.

"What? I'm hungry!" I smiled. "You're a boy. You should understand how hungry I am after a concert."

"Sure…" He started.

"Oh! That reminds me, I'm going to do a remake of Every Rose Has It's Thorn!" I jumped up and down.

"Really? That's awesome."

"Yea, plus the duet with you three and the duet with We the Kings!"

"Well, no wonder those are you favorite bands!" He joked and laughed.

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "I really like them. I've done other remakes before."

"I know. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. You beat out Miley Cyrus to do it."

"Is that why I've heard rumors she doesn't like me?" I realized I was still holding the menu in my hand. So, I dialed the number on the room phone and waited.

"Well, I haven't heard anything like it."

"Room service?"

"Hold on, Nick."

"Okay."

"I want the pepperoni pizza please. Large."

"Okay, Ms. Shilas. It will be up in about 20 minutes."

I put the phone down and said into my cell, "Okay. I'm back."

"Geez, you're gonna eat a whole large pizza? By yourself?" He asked, sounding shocked.

"Hmmm, probably. I feel like I could." I laughed at him.

"I don't believe it. You're too tiny."

I blushed. "Well, I guess I'm a bottomless pit!"

He laughed loudly and I heard someone shout in the background, "Hey, Lover boy! Keep it down! I'm trying to sleep!"

He covered the phone a bit too late.

"Sounds like Joe." I smiled.

"Yep, drama queen."

I giggled. "It's only 12:49 a.m."

"I know."

"Well, I guess I should go. I have to be up by 5:30…"

"That sucks. Ok, you can text me tomorrow." I said, after thinking for a moment.

"Okay. I will. Would you like a wake-up call at 5:30 or should I wait?"

"Uh, definitely not that early. How about 8?"

"Okay. Good night, Robyn."

"Night, Nick." I hung up the phone, and then waited for my pizza.

When it eventually arrived, I sat at the bar and ate while thinking. Nick was definitely sweet, but he was known for falling head over heels too fast. I didn't want to hurt him like I had hurt Gene. Maybe it was a good thing I had told him I wasn't ready. I finished my pizza and headed to the make shift bed in the next room over.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning was free, because we would leave at 12:00 tonight. So, I put on some old clothes and went to help the stage hands pack it up. They all goof around when I show up. Every time, it was always the same. But at least they got it done ahead of schedule. I love my stage hands.

I was in the middle of detaching the steps when my phone rang out, 'Every rose has it's thorn' until I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey." Nick's voice came from the other end. I hadn't even bothered to look at the caller id.

"Oh, hey." I said, and then walked away from the noise. After a little taunting from some of the guys, I finally broke away. "What's up?"

"You sound awfully awake for 7:58 a.m." He chuckled.

"I woke up earlier and decided to help the stage guys pack up." I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "So, is this my wake-up call? You're two minutes early."

"Oh, please." He scoffed. "It's more like a minute and a half."

I laughed and stopped to lean against the doorway. The morning was already starting to get hot.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" I asked him.

"Well, I just finished my work out. I'm about to have a fruit smoothie, and then… I don't know. I might go see a pretty girl."

My eyes widened as I realized he was talking about me.

"Deer in the headlights?" He chuckled.

"Pshh, no." I laughed, nervously. "If you can find me."

"Oh, I'll find you. I have ways of making people talk."

I rolled my eyes and smiled, then twirled a piece of hair around my finger. "Not even going to ask what I'm up to today?"

"Hmmm…" He teased. "Okay, Robyn, what are you up to today?"

"Well, I'm gonna go get decently dressed and then I'm going to avoid a certain good-looking boy." As soon as I said it, I slapped my hand over my mouth. 'Good-looking'? Where did that come from?

"Oh, so I'm good-looking now?"

"Nope." I lied, hoping he couldn't tell.

"Liar." He got it. "I'll see you tonight then, if you really avoid me. But something tells me you won't."

And he hung up before I had a chance to respond. I slid my phone closed angrily. Why did I have to say that? I kicked at the ground, trying to figure out how to stop leading him on. No more flirting, no more telling him he has good looks. Friendly, without being too overly friendly.

Walking back to my room, I opened my phone and did a search for a kid's hospital near here. I saw there was one about twelve miles away, so I called to see if they felt like a visit.

"Hi, my name's Robyn Shilas."

"Oh, hello Ms. Shilas." The woman who answered the phone responded.

"Yes, I was wondering if you would possibly have an opening for me to visit some of the kids."

"Well sure. Our kids just love you. And the Jonas Brothers of course. That's all the music they let us play." She chuckled.

"What time did you have open?"

"Hmm, well I have a ten to twelve open. That's right before lunch and you're more than welcome to join us."

"Okay, that sounds great. I'll see you at ten. Ms…?"

"Donna. That's what the kids call me."

"Okay then, Ms. Donna. I'll see you at ten."

I hung up and kept walking towards my dressing room. I was almost inside when a movement to my left caught my eye. I looked in time to see Gene step out the shadows.

I took a deep breath as he walked towards me.

"Gene, I thought I told you that I didn't want to see you again?"

He didn't reply, just kept walking. I threw up my chin again and he raised his hand to stroke it. I really needed to learn how to stop doing that.

"You know," He began, his voice very low. "You throw your chin up in that 'damn the world' way and sometimes I'd love to just clip you. But then," He lowered his head and trailed his lips down to a soft spot. "I find the flesh underneath is soft and vulnerable."

I stood frozen and rooted to the spot. He kissed my jaw, then moved to just below my ear and gave it on small nip and I turned to jelly. His arms came around my waist just in time to catch me, while I put my arms around his neck. Turning my face to his, I found his lips and kissed him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nick's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I opened my phone as it buzzed with a new text.

Joe: Just saw your girl kissing her ex… Better watch it.

Me: She's not my girl. She can kiss who she wants.

Joe: Whatever, bro.

I didn't answer that, just sat thinking. Maybe that's why she said she would avoid me today. I grabbed my guitar and started strumming. After a few hours, I had our next song ready to record. It was then that my phone started singing, 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. I smiled, Robyn. I had set the ringtone last night after our conversation.

I slid the answer bar and held the phone to my ear. "Hey, pretty girl."

I heard her sigh. "Hey. I need a favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I called the local children's hospital today and told them I wanted to visit. The receptionist mentioned that my music and the Jonas Brothers music was all they really listened to…" She trailed off, but I knew this was my chance to spend time with her.

"Sounds good, what time?"

She sounded shocked. "Really? Well, I told them I'd be there at ten. So, I'm leaving here now."

"Ok. I'll meet you out front of the arena building." I told her, putting my guitar and new song in the guitar case, then grabbing my keys and heading out.

"Ok. And bring your guitar."

"Ok. See you in a few." I said, then turned back and grabbed my guitar.

Down the steps I got stopped by a few girls who looked to be thirteen. After signing a few autographs, I finally made it outside to see Robyn waiting for me. She also had a guitar case. She smiled and I noticed her lips were a bit swollen and a little more pink. But I didn't say anything, she's not mine.

"Thanks. They don't know you're coming, so this will be a surprise." She put a hand out and signaled for a cab.

"Sure." I opened the door of the car that had just pulled up and gestured for her to get in.


	6. Chapter 6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Robyn's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We walked into the lobby and I walked up to the desk. I read the woman's name tag before she looked up at me.

"Hi, Ms. Donna." She was a plump woman of about 50 with bright red hair.

"Hello, Ms. Shilas." She smiled pleasantly, and then glanced to Nick. "Oh, hello Mr. Jonas. We weren't expecting you."

He smiled. "Robyn talked me into it."

I rolled my eyes. "You didn't need much persuasion."

"Well, anyhow. The kids know that they have a treat, but they don't know exactly what it is. We have them all assembled in the biggest social room down the hall. There are about 13 children who were well enough to attend." She stood and started walking down the hall.

I glanced at Nick, shrugged, and then followed her.

"We gave them name tags. So, feel free to interact to any extent." She pushed open a set of double doors and I saw the kids with their backs to us.

I walked past Ms. Donnas' outstretched arm and into the room. The kids heard my footsteps, echoed by Nick's, and turned around to look at us.

Some of them had no hair and some looked green in the face. It was sad and I stopped, wondering if I would be able to handle it. As the tears began to cloud my vision, I blinked furiously trying to get them to stay away. I felt Nick's hand on my lower back, gently pushing me forward.

I continued toward the chairs in the front of the room, putting a smile on my face, even though my brain was screaming, "Look at them! They're all sick! And you're perfectly healthy, and famous! What did you do to deserve this life?"

I sat down, and looked around the room again. I tried my best to put on a convincing smile, but I felt it as a grimace, so I just bent down and busied myself with getting my guitar out.

Nick could sense something was wrong, so he began speaking. "Hey, everybody! How are we today?"

All the kids gave a unanimous, "Good!"

"Okay! Just give us a few minutes and we will be ready to play you a song." He turned to get his guitar out and murmured, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know if I can do this, Nick." I took a deep breath.

"Okay, don't focus on the kids. Focus on my good looks." He winked and I laughed.

"Okay, who wants to pick the first song?"

Four hands shot in the air and he pointed to a little girl with braided pig tails, whose name badge said, "Haley."

"Can you play Black Keys?"

Nick nodded and began strumming. I soon picked up the other guitar part and Nick began singing. I got into it, watching him put so much feeling in his singing. When he reached the bridge, I began to harmonize with his voice. I was really surprised at how well our voices meshed.

I gazed at Nick, wondering when it would be safe to tell him I'm ready to move on. We finished the song, but instead of turning to look at the kids, I kept looking at Nick. I also wondered when to tell him what happened with Gene this morning.

Vaguely, I heard, "Okay. How about a new song? I just wrote it this morning, so you all are the first to hear it."

I furrowed my brow and he started strumming. I watched his fingers move over the strings, and pretty soon I got the pattern. I strummed the main chords while I listened to him sing:

"We've never been into honesty, so promise me you'll let me know when you're lying." He glanced at me often during song and towards the end I realized it was about me.

My face started to burn and I was so caught off-guard that I missed a chord. I put my head down and willed the burning to stop. When I looked back up, he was looking at me.

"You leave me hoping, and praying that my love won't show. 'Cause I know you'll give me, an Olive and an Arrow." He finished with a 2-8 count and the kids clapped enthusiastically.

After that, Nick suggested some questions. When we finally finished, it was almost 12:00.

"Can we hear Robyn sing When the Stars Go Blue?" One of the kids shouted.

Nick nodded and I started strumming. "Dancing where the stars go blue. Dancing when the evening fell. Dancing in my wooden shoes, in a wedding gown."

Nick picked up perfectly where my drummer usually sings. "Dancing out on Seventh Street. Dancing through the underground. Dancing little marionette, are you happy now?"

I connected my eyes with his and the song developed a whole new meaning.

We finished and I decided that I had to go to the bathroom. So, I told Nick and he nodded, not connecting with my eyes.

I walked into the hall and took several deep breaths before walking up to Ms. Donna. "Hi! I was wondering if I could see the infant section. Babies are my favorite."

She nodded. "Sure, down the hall, second door on the right. Those are the healthy babies."

"Thank you." I walked down and peered in the big window. There were three visible. I pushed open the door and was greeted by a girl who looked to be the same age as me.

"Hi!" She said, and then turned around. Her eyes got wide and she cried, "You're Robyn Shilas!"

"Yea. I am." I smiled. I loved being recognized. "You are…"

"Mandy."

"Hi Mandy." I looked at the little pink bundle in the middle bed. "Can I hold her?"

"Sure." She walked over and picked her up, then handed her to me. "This is Elizabeth."

I looked at the little girl and my heart melted. She was so adorable. I stood cooing at her, while Mandy looked at me. "Hey, I have to use the bathroom real quick. I'll be right back."

I nodded. This little girl had me captivated. I moved the blanket back a little and her hand popped out. I laughed quietly and gave her my pinky finger, which she immediately squeezed in her tiny fist.

"She's cute." I jumped and turned around to find Nick smiling at me, his guitar slung over his shoulder and mine in his hand. He walked closer and peered at her.

Her eyes popped open and she got a full view of Nick's face and curly hair. Her chocolate brown eyes were huge and made her look like a little deer in the headlights. Nick gave a small chuckle and put a finger on her hand that was closed around my finger.

"She's so soft." He whispered.

I smiled and watched the little girl. Her big eyes moved back and forth between us. Then she let them drop and was almost instantly asleep.

I put her back in the bed and tucked her back in. Turning, I reached for my guitar and nearly smacked right into Nick. I looked up and saw him gazing at me intensely. He leaned closer and put a hand on my wrist, gently pulling me to him. I closed my eyes and he leaned in further, but stopped just as our lips grazed.

He pulled back fast and let go of my wrist like I had burned him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He handed me my guitar and then turned and walked out of the room.

I followed him as my face burned. We got outside and he hailed a cab. When it pulled up, he opened the door and motioned for me to get in first.

When the cab started moving, I leaned towards Nick and quietly asked, "Was the song about me? The new one."

He looked out the window, but did a silent nod.

I closed my eyes and straightened back up, putting my head back and sighing. Back at the arena, we went our separate ways, not saying goodbye to each other.


	7. Chapter 7

On my way back to my room my phone started buzzing.

Pulling it out, I recognized it as Gene's number. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby." He sounded happy.

I rolled my eyes. "Hey."

"What are you doing?"

"I just got back from the children's hospital. I'm on my way to my room."

"Good because I have a surprise for you." He said, and then hung up.

I put my phone back in my pocket and rounded the corner to see him holding a bouquet of pink roses. I smiled and thanked him.

"Well, the prettiest flowers for my girl." He pecked my lips and I was reminded of how Nick had suddenly kissed me.

"Well, thank you." I turned and opened my room door. Gene followed me in and shut the door behind us.

I found a tall glass and put some water in it, and then the roses. When I turned back around, I found Gene watching me, a smile playing on his lips.

I smiled in return. "What?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking of how awesome you are." He crossed the room and put his arms around my waist, leaning his forehead on mine.

I smiled wider and pecked his lips.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" He asked.

"Well, I'm all yours until five." I detached myself from his arms and went to sit on the couch.

He followed me like a lost puppy, a frown etched on his face. "Why only until five?"

"I'm collaborating with the Jonas Brothers for a duet." I leaned against him when he sat next to me.

"Oh. Okay. So what to do?"

"We could just lie around all day." I suggested.

"Hmmm…" He wrapped his arms around me, laid back and pulled me on top of him. "Okay, this could work."

I giggled, but inside I was wondering when he would change back to the way he used to be. This new Gene could only last so long.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing." I said, guiltily. "Just when my tour is over."

"And when is that exactly?"

"In two months. I end in California." I said, and then just decided to tell him the rest. "My manager, Angie, thinks I should get a place out there. It's too expensive to keep flying from New Jersey every other week."

He was silent for a moment. "So, what about us?"

I sighed. "Is there an _us_, Gene?"

I got up, deciding to put distance between us just in case.

"I thought there was. I thought everything was back to normal." He sat up and gazed at me evenly. His phone started singing then, my song, Kicking and Screaming. It was just a text, so he slid it open and read it. When he was done, he looked up and said, "Is everything back to normal?"

"I don't know, Gene." I drug a hand through my hair, like I did when I didn't feel like dealing.

"Why don't you know?" He took a step towards me and his eyes clouded.

"I don't know if I want everything to be back to normal. Normal wasn't good with us." I glanced at my phone on the counter.

"I thought it was." He was only arm's length away now. He reached towards me, tentatively.

"Bruises? Bruises are normal?" I asked him, lowering my voice and almost pleading with him.

"I love you, Robyn." His hand slid up and down my arm. "I know you don't love me back, but I don't need you to. I just need you to like me, enough to be with me."

"I'm sorry, Gene."

"Don't be. I love you and that's all that matters." His voice was soft.

"No, I already told you. You don't deserve that. You need someone who loves you as much as you love them."

This time when he spoke, there was an edge to his voice. "But I want you."

I didn't say anything, just backed up a little more. That's when I felt the edge of the counter in my lower back.

"I want you, Robyn. And I will have you, one way or another."

"No, Gene. I'm sorry, but you won't." I said, unconsciously sticking out my chin.

I didn't realize he had hit me until I felt the sting. My head whipped to the side and my hand came up to my left cheek. I felt blood, from a gash that seemed pretty long. That's when I realized he was wearing the ring I gave him.

"Get out." I said, my voice shaking.

"Excuse me?" He looked at me, as if daring me to say it again.

I gained more power this time. "I said, get out."

"You think," He began and grabbed my arms towards my shoulders and brought my face closer to his. "That you can just tell me what to do?"

He shook me a little and I couldn't breathe, let alone answer.

"I don't take orders!" He yelled in my face and dug his fingers into my skin.

Then, just like in the movies, he swung around and threw me across the room. I hit the ground and slid into the opposite wall with a loud thud.

I heard my back pop and tears made their way to my eyes, breaking free. I did nothing to stop them, putting my head on my arm and trying to breath. He walked towards me and squatted down in front of me.

"I'll see you after your last concert. I'll be there to take you home."

"No." I coughed a little. "I'm not going home with you. After this, I won't go anywhere with you."

He stood and gave me a good kick, before squatting down again. I coughed a lot this time, taking slow deep breaths. When I didn't look at him, he got mad and grabbed my hair, forcing me to turn my head towards him. His phone was open and on it was a picture of Nick and me kissing in the nursery.

My eyes widened. "That…" I gasped for breath as he pulled my head up a little more. "He kissed me, and then apologized for it. It was nothing." I took another ragged breath.

He nodded, but I could tell he didn't believe me. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"There wasn't anything to find out." I squeezed my eyes shut. "It was nothing. And you and I aren't dating."

"I love you and you're mine. Always will be." He shoved my head back down and let go of my hair, and then stood up. "Remember that."

I curled up on my side, waiting for more abuse, but he walked out the door, slamming it behind him. I laid there for a good half hour, trying to breathe and stop crying. I slowly uncurled and winced when it hurt to move. But, I drug myself up to a sitting position and forced myself to stand. I grabbed my phone off the counter and walked out the door, clutching my stomach and chest. Throwing my hood over my head, I walked down the hallway and out of the building.

Ten minutes later I was knocking on room 1504 of the Rialto Hotel. I doubled over in pain and quickly retracted my hand. After a few minutes, I stood again, just in time to see Joe open the door.

I gave him a weak smile before grimacing in pain. I shut my eyes and willed it to go away.


	8. Chapter 8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nick's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Someone knocked on the door, but I was strumming on my guitar so I let Joe answer it. Mom and Dad took Frankie to the movies, while Kevin and Dani went out to lunch. After a few minutes Joe called my name and I sighed and got up. When I walked into the living room area, I saw Joe holding Robyn in his arms, bridal-style, and placing her on the couch. When he pushed back her hood, I did a quick intake of breath and finished crossing the room to her.

I sat on the very edge of the couch and touched her side, but her sharp gasp made me pull away. I took her chin gently with one hand and turned her face so I could see the large gash in her cheek. The blood had run down and soaked into the collar of her shirt and hoody, and the cut itself was swelling so that her eye was almost closed. The gash had to be at least 3 or 4 inches long and one wide.

Her breathing was shallow and I guessed that it had to hurt her.

"Robyn? Did Gene do this?" I asked quietly, realizing Joe was still standing behind me.

She didn't say anything, but I knew it was him.

"I'm going to kill him." I said, looking at Joe.

"No! Please Nick! Don't!" She whispered, and then started breathing heavy, gasping for air.

I looked at her, and then back to Joe. "Get your car; she needs to go to the hospital."

She started shaking her head, but Joe kept going.

"Well, either I kill him or you go to the hospital." I looked at her. "Which is it?"

She didn't answer, but I knew she didn't want me to kill him. So, I picked her up as Joe had earlier and carried her out the door. I took the elevator to the lobby and quickly walked across it, ignoring the looks of people there. When I got outside, I had to wait on Joe.

"Nick, I can walk." She said, weakly, still holding her stomach and chest.

"No, you can't. Besides, pretty girl," I smiled as she did. "You're not that heavy. I have two guitars that are heavier than you."

She laughed, but was immediately overtaken with coughing, so I decided no more jokes.

Joe pulled up and I slid into the back seat with her still in my lap, shifting as Joe shut the door. I stroked her hair as Joe drove and she curled up tighter. After a few minutes, she seemed to be breathing evenly. When we finally got to the hospital, I waited as Joe opened the door, and then slid back out, still holding Robyn.

When I got inside, Joe walked over to the Emergency Room window and signed her in. I laid Robyn on a big couch and sat in the floor by her head. Joe came back and told us it would be a while before someone could see her. So, we settled in and listened to Robyn's ragged, short breaths.

"I think her rib is broken." Joe said, looking at her side.

I nodded my agreement and searched her face. Besides the big gash, it seemed to be okay. I found her eyes and she gave me a pleading look that had a lot of meanings. The main one was, 'please don't leave me'. I brought my hand up and she backed away from it. My eyes widened as I realized that's probably how Gene began.

Just as he had the day we met. Brought his hand up to brush her cheek, then grabbed her arms.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, but let my hand rest there. After a few looks at it, she moved closer and rubbed her uncut cheek against it.

I heard her phone start singing and I realized it was in her right pocket, underneath her. She nodded, so I slipped my hand under her, despite her hisses of pain as she tried to lift her hip, and pulled it out.

"It's your mom." I told her, and then answered it when she nodded. "Hello?"

"Hello? Who is this?" Her mother demanded.

"My name's Nick, ma'am." Robyn grinned when I said that.

"Nick who? Where's my daughter?"

"She's right here, ma'am. But she can't really talk." I glanced at her face and saw that she was just watching me, breathing through her mouth.

"Why not?"

"Well, ma'am. We're in the E.R. because her boyfriend hit her, quite a few times." I was mad again, as I told her. Robyn's eyes widened and she gave a little whimper, but I ignored it.

"Wait? Gene? Gene hit her? More than once?" Her voice was high and squeaky.

"Yes ma'am. She just showed up at my hotel door and my brother and I brought her here, to the Southern Hospital."

"She is still in Texas, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Austin?"

"Yes."

"Okay, can you put the phone up to her ear?"

I did as she told me to and watched Robyn's face, although I could hear her clearly.

"Robyn, I'm buying the first plane ticket to Austin I can get. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Robyn gave a weak, "Ok." And I took the phone back.

"Thank you, Nick." Her mother said.

"Yes ma'am."

"Will you stay with her until I get there?"

"Yes, I will." I honestly told her.

"Good, goodbye now." She hung up.

I put Robyn's phone in my other pocket and looked at Joe. He was texting away on his phone, probably to Taylor. Right as I was about to ask him, I heard Robyn's name being called and looked to see an old nurse standing at a set of double doors. I stood, tapping Joe on the shoulder and then picking Robyn up again. I followed the woman down the hall and into a 9' by 15' foot area, screen off with a thin curtain.

"She needs to take off the over-sweater so the doctor can look at her better." The nurse handed Joe a pair of scissors, while I set Robyn on the small bed.

"Dude, I'm going to wait outside, I'm sure Robyn doesn't want me here while she is almost undressed." Joe said, making Robyn smile.

He exited the way we had come and when he was out of site, I drew the curtain all the way closed then turned to her.

"This was my," Ragged breath, "favorite hoody."

I smiled and cut up the side, being careful not to get her with the scissors. I cut each of the arms and then gently pulled it over her head. "I'll buy you a new one."

I checked the size, XS, and then threw it in the small waste basket behind me. I noticed she was lying on her right side more than her back.

"Robyn, what exactly happened?"

She grimaced. "Can I tell you and the doctor at the same time?"

I nodded and willed him or her to hurry. It didn't take long and a red-headed doctor swept the curtain aside, and then fixed it behind him.

"Okay, Robyn. I'm Dr. Leister." He looked up from his clipboard and his eyes went wide. "Okay, first we get that cut taken care of." He went to the small sink and washed his hands, then pulled out an assortment of things and set them on the counter.

He cleaned it first, and started asking questions. I answered the ones I could while I watched him put a kind of clear salve over her entire cheek. Next, he stitched it up with pink thread.

"Okay Robyn. Where else do you hurt?" He asked.

"My back and right ribs." She said, taking deep breaths.

He nodded. "Okay, I'm going to put you completely on your side so I can look at your back, then I'm going to check your ribs for breaks."

She didn't say anything, just winced when he started to turn her. He walked around to my side of the bed and took the scissors from me. Since her t-shirt was tight, he cut up the side and peeled it back. I gasped when I saw that her back was completely covered in a light bruise that was sure to darken by tomorrow.

"Well, that explains the hurt. Now, this will hurt too, but it's necessary." He told her, then started pressing her back.

Her eyes closed and she fisted her hands up, so I went around the bed and took one hand in mine. She squeezed while he pressed, but it didn't hurt me.

"Okay, there aren't any breaks here. Let's check your ribs." He gently pressed her hip and she gave a small yelp. He raised an eyebrow and unbuttoned her pants, pulling down one side to reveal a perfectly round bruise.

The more I saw, the more I wanted to kill him.

The doctor left her pants with the one side pulled down and went back to coaxing her onto her back. When she was flat, he pulled her shirt up and both sides of her rib cage were bruised. He began pressing on the right side and when he got to the third one, she squeezed my hand harder than before.

"That one's the worst." She told him.

He nodded and continued pressing. There were no more that hurt more than the others, but her left side had 3 that hurt a lot. I could tell by the pressure of her hand in mine.

"Okay, 4 broken ribs, a cut that is 3.2 inches by .8 inches, entire back bruised, hip bruised." He picked up his clip board and started writing.

On impulse, I let go of her hand and pushed up the sleeves of her shirt. There were three sets of hand bruises, the middle ones being the lightest, the top the worst. The bottom ones must have been from yesterday. She whimpered as I trailed a finger down them, causing the doctor to look over.

"Okay, now I'm not dumb…" He trailed off and I knew what he meant.

When Robyn wouldn't say anything, I did. "It was her boyfriend. About an hour and a half ago."

He nodded. "I don't need to know what exactly happened, but I'm sending an officer over here."

"Thank you." I said, while he walked back through the curtain.

"I know you didn't want to tell anyone, but I had to. He won't hurt you again." I whispered, kissing her forehead.

The cop came over and took out his notebook. She told her story, pausing often for breaths, and I found myself picturing it. When she finished, I took her hand in mine again.

"And you, you're not the boyfriend?" The cop asked. He had quite an accent.

"No sir." I said, while Robyn grinned at me.

He nodded. "Okay, I'm going to need his full name and place of address to press charges."

"No, I don't want to press charges." She said, pleading with her eyes again.

"Why not?" He looked at her like she was crazy. "With this kind of evidence, it's sure to go in your favor."

"No."

I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Well, at the very least, file a restraining order." He told her. "I'll do it for you now."

And before she could protest, he was talking into his cell phone.

"Please, Robyn?" I squatted down, my hand still in hers and searched her eyes.

She sighed, but I knew I had won. So, she gave him the information needed and then closed her eyes. He brought out a camera and clicked pictures of her cheek, back, ribs, arms and hips.

"The doctor said he would be right back to bandage her up, so I'm going down to the court house to get the papers. Wait here for me to return." He nodded to me. "It shouldn't take too long."

When he left, Robyn opened her eyes and curled up tight, still gripping my hand.

"Thank you, Nick."

"I know that we have only known each other for a few days, but I feel like I've known you my whole life. I'd do anything for you." I leaned my forehead against her for a moment, then straightened back up in time for the doctor to return.

"Okay, I'm just going to wrap the bandages around your torso and then give you some pain medication." He walked over to the cabinet below the sink and brought out a white gauze bandage. "Then I need you to rest for 2 weeks. No concerts, no strenuous activities. If not, your ribs could mend wrong."

She nodded, then let go of my hand and took an arm out of the cut t-shirt. The next arm proved harder, but she got it and dropped the shirt beside her on the floor. The doctor started wrapping and Robyn closed her eyes and began breathing through her mouth. When he finished, she went back to the position she was in. Reaching over, I wiped the tears from her cheek.

When I realized she couldn't go out into the street in just her bra, I began unbuttoning my shirt. I pulled it off my arms, leaving me in just my signature white v-neck. When she opened her eyes, I gave her a smile, trying to make her feel better.

"Okay. I'm done. The officer should be back in a few minutes, so you can feel free to stay in here." He nodded, then handed me a slip for her pain medication. "I don't want to have to see you again for the same reason." And he walked out, pulling the curtain closed behind him.

"Here, you can wear this." I held the shirt out to her.

She struggled to sit up, so I put my hands on her side, trying not to touch a bruise, and helped her up. When she was sitting, I slipped one arm in and then the other and then buttoned up the front. Her eyes met mine and I stroked the back of her hand and then intertwined our fingers. We stayed like this until the officer stepped into the room, papers in his hand.

"Ms. Shilas? We took the serving papers to the hotel you said he was in and found him. Since you didn't want to press charges, we couldn't arrest him, just give him the papers and consider him served." When Robyn nodded, he continued. "The order says that he is to not come within 300 feet of you, anywhere at any time. If he does, you call the local cops and they will know what to do."

She nodded again and took the manila envelope from him. "Can I go now?"

"Yes. But Ms, you have twenty-four hours to change your mind and press charges."

"Thank you, officer." I told him and then watched him leave.

I put a hand under her knees, and another around her back and lifted her. I walked out of the small room and back into the waiting room to see Joe surrounded by fan girls. I gave a huge sigh and waited to be recognized as I made my way towards the doors. I got almost there and heard the squeals, so I stepped outside.

Bad idea. There were paparazzi all over the place, snapping pictures of me carrying Robyn. I looked around and found Big Rob making his way towards me. I looked down at Robyn and saw she had her face buried in my chest. And then I felt her tears soaking through my shirt. Big Rob broke up the circle and pulled me along by the elbow. He got us to the door of the waiting car and inside without hurting her.

I brought my arm from underneath her legs and brushed her hair from her face. She had stopped crying and looked up at me, the expression in her eyes unreadable. Her right arm came away from her stomach and up around my neck. I felt her fingers in the hair at the base of my neck and then she gently pulled my head down to her.

Her chin raised and I closed my eyes just before our lips touched. My lips meshed with hers perfectly for a few seconds, before I found myself pulling away. I didn't say anything and neither did she. But I didn't want her to kiss me because she was saying thanks; I wanted her to kiss me because she liked me. I could wait; we only live a couple miles away from each other in New Jersey. And so I decided I would wait for her.


	9. Chapter 9

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Robyn's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick walked in the door to his hotel room and went straight to the bed. He put me down gently and then turned to his suitcase on the floor. He dug around and came back to me with a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt.

"I'll get my mom or Danielle to help you change." He said as his face burned red.

When he walked out of the room, I sighed and had to force tears to go away. He had rejected me. I put my hands on my face and tried to relieve the pressure underneath my eyes, without actually crying. There was a quiet knock on the door and Danielle, Kevin's wife, came in.

"Hi! I'm Danielle!" She smiled and shut the door behind her.

"I know. I'm Robyn." I smiled in return. I sat up, painfully and put my legs off the edge of the bed.

"Here, let me help." She said, and then took my hands and slowly pulled me to my feet.

I started laughing and Danielle looked at me like I was crazy. "Gah! I feel like such an invalid!"

She gave a short chuckle and made sure I was balanced before she slowly and gently pulled my jeans off my hips. When they were around my ankles, she put a hand around my calf and pulled up so I could step out of it. She did the same with the other leg, while I balanced myself with my hands on her shoulders. She did the same with my legs for the shorts and then gently pulled them up, settling them very low on my hips to avoid the bruise there.

I sighed as I sat on the bed again; glad to not have to stand anymore. She smiled and I began unbuttoning my shirt, when I had it undone, she slid it off my arms. Tossing it to the floor, she grabbed the t-shirt and put one arm, and then the other through it and then brought it over my head.

When it was completely on, I lay back across the bed and breathed deeply. "How did you know exactly how to do that and be completely gentle at the same time?"

She laughed a little. "I'm a nurse. I work for a company that sends me to certain people's houses each day and most of the time they are hurt too bad to get dressed themselves."

I nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." She picked the clothes up off the floor and put them on top of Nick's suitcase. "I'll send Nick back in."

I heard the door open and then a few minutes later, Nick's footsteps fell softly on the carpet.

I looked over to him and smiled. "You smell amazingly good."

His cheeks turned red and he walked over to me. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to bawl my eyes out any minute." I threw an arm over my eyes. When I said the next part, my voice was already shaking. "If you can't handle the water works, you might not want to stick around much longer."

He was at my side in an instant, picking me up and placing me with my head on the pillows. He walked around the other side of the bed and climbed on; pulling me to him so my face was in his chest. That's when I broke. I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Why did I let him back in? Every time I take him back, I always end up worse off than before." I cried until I couldn't cry anymore and my throat was hoarse. Nick sat patiently, stroking my hair and softly soothing me.

I guess I cried myself to sleep because the next thing I knew, the sunlight was trying to break through my eyelids. I opened them and looked around, not recognizing the room I was in. When I tried to sit up, I felt stabs of pain in my back and ribs. That's when yesterday and last night came flooding back. I squeezed my eyes shut and begged my feelings to stay away. I didn't need another cry session on a hot guy's chest.

After a few minutes, I scooted over to the edge of the bed and swung my legs over, grunting in pain. I stood and felt everything pop, but kept going. I took small steps to the door and opened it, peeking out. When I didn't see anyone in the 'living room' area, I stayed close to the wall and moved toward the kitchen, stopping often to take stabilizing breaths.

I heard voices, so I figured I was going the right way. When I finally rounded the corner, Danielle and Mrs. Jonas were standing in the kitchen holding cups of coffee in their hands. Danielle saw me first.

"Oh, good morning." She said, brightly. "You know, you could have just called. You're supposed to be bed-ridden for a week and a half."

I gave her a weak smile. "I didn't know if anyone was here."

"You think Nick would leave you here alone?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, no. I taught him better than that." Mrs. Jonas smiled and took a sip of coffee.

"Hello, I'm Robyn." I walked towards her, still holding the wall.

"I know, dear. I'm Denise, but feel free to call me whatever." She took a few steps and closed the distance between us. Reaching out, she took my hand and helped me leave the wall and get to the island without much pain.

"Oh, mom, didn't you put her breakfast in the microwave?" Danielle asked turning and checking.

"Yes. Robyn, do you want to eat sitting or standing? Whichever brings you the least pain?" Mrs. Jonas smiled and looked right into my eyes.

I couldn't look away, but answered anyways. "I'll stand for now."

Danielle set a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of me and handed me a fork and a napkin. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I took my first bite.

"This is delicious." I said, eating another bite of eggs.

"Is it? Nick cooked this morning."

I nodded. "It's great."

They both smiled.

"I talked to your mother this morning. She can't get a flight out until Thursday, the day after tomorrow." Mrs. Jonas walked to the fridge and pulled out some orange juice. I nodded and she poured some, continuing to talk. "I also spoke with Angie. It's set that you are staying in Texas until Sunday."

"What about my shows for the next three cities? I'm supposed to be in Utah right now." I took a drink of my juice.

"They gave out rain checks this morning. Two weeks from today will be the concert that was supposed to be tonight."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jonas." I said, setting my fork down and looking at her.

"It's no problem at all, dear. With those three grown up and Frankie so mature, I don't have much to fuss over anymore."

My eyes began to tear up, and I quickly wiped them away.

"What's wrong?" Danielle asked, peering at me as if to see the answer written on my face.

"Nothing." I began and then changed my mind. "It's just, I don't know any of you and you're treating me like I'm your daughter or sister."

"Don't you dare think anything of it." Mrs. Jonas smiled and patted my hand. That only made me cry harder.

They both laughed and I joined in, still wiping tears off my cheek. I finished eating and downed my orange juice.

"Okay, I've got some comfy clothes you can wear if you want a shower?" Danielle asked.

"Sure." I nodded and took a few deep breaths before pushing myself off the counter.

I took a few steps and stopped to breathe. I felt as though I had been lying in a bed for years. Danielle helped me to the room and then into the shower.

Half an hour later, I felt refreshed as I sat on the bed with clean clothes on. Looking around, I saw a pile of blankets and pillows on the floor beside the bed. I immediately felt guilty for taking his bed, but when I tried to stand to pick up his bed pile, I had to sit right back down.

Putting my head down, I concentrated on breathing. When I heard a knock on the door, I didn't say anything or look up. Whoever it was, shut the door behind them and sat next to me on the bed. When my hair was pushed from my face, I knew it was Nick.

"Your mom's too good to me."

He gave a short laugh. "She's too good to everybody."

I nodded a little and went back to breathing.

"I brought everything from your room over here, because the next act to play is staying there."

I nodded again.

"And I got this." He held up a white prescription bag. I looked at it and watched him open it.

He brought out a pretty big bottle and opened it, shaking two tiny little pills into his palm. He handed them to me and then gave me a bottle of water. I took the pills, throwing my head back because I hate taking them. When they were down, I closed the water and handed it back to him.

"Your family is amazing. I don't know if I could have done everything you've already done for me." I shook my head. "By the way, you are now hired as my personal cook."

He gave a laugh and shook his head. "I might take you up on that if my music career ever goes down the toilet."

"Seriously though? Thank you, Nick, for everything you and your family has done." I connected with his eyes.

Shaking his head, he stroked my right cheek. "You don't deserve what Gene has done to you."

"Don't I, though?" I asked and his fingers froze.

"Of course not."

"When I got home from the kid's hospital, he was waiting for me with roses. I hate roses." I stopped and sat up a little straighter to be able to breathe better. "I didn't tell him because I wanted to make things work. I could love him, if he didn't pressure me for sex."

Nick didn't say anything, just listened with his hands clasped in his lap, elbows on his knees.

"We sat on the couch together and talked for a few minutes. When he asked what we were doing today, I told him I was getting together with you and your brothers to write a song. Then I told him about finding an apartment in California and staying out there in the regular season. In the off season, I would live in New Jersey." I paused and leaned forward for a few minutes before continuing. "His exact words were, 'What about us?'"

He took a sideways look at me.

"I asked if there was an us, but he didn't like that answer. So, he stood and started walking towards me."

"What came first, the bruises or the cut on your cheek?"

"When he said he loved me and that he would eventually have me, I told him he wouldn't and he backhanded me. It was a nice sized diamond that I had bought him for Christmas last year."

"What next? This isn't the story you told that cop."

"I left out the major details." I sighed and took some more breaths. "I told him to get out and he grabbed my shoulders and began shaking me." I fought to keep my voice even. "He picked me up and threw me across the room. Then he kicked me and walked out."

I avoided the picture part because I didn't want him to think it was his fault.

"So how do you deserve any of that?"

I looked at him shocked. How could he not see it? "I led him on for 2 and ½ years, Nick. I didn't love him, yet I didn't break up with him."

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't know." I sighed and leaned my shoulder against his. "I guess because I didn't have any place to live if we broke up."

His arm moved around my back and he almost touched me, but then changed his mind. "That's not your fault."

I let my whole weight lean against him before answering. "I do know I don't deserve you or your family."

"I don't believe that for a minute." When I gave him a look, he continued. "But even if you do, don't let my mother know. Just let her fuss like the mother hen she is."

I smiled. We stayed silent, me leaning on his shoulder. It was a content silence. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the cracked door and Danielle poked her head in.

"Hey, mom wants to talk to you for a minute, Nick."

"Okay." When she disappeared, he looked at me. "I'll be right back."

I looked around the room for a minute and spotted his guitar. I struggled to stand up, and then made my way over. I picked it up, grunting in pain and made my way back to the bed. I opened his case and brought it out, starting to strum.

I played with the chords and then started singing. "One thing is clear, I wear a halo, I wear a halo when you look at me. But standing from here, you wouldn't say so, you wouldn't say so."

I stopped. That was exactly what was going on with Nick. I began strumming again. "I always said I would make mistakes."

I looked around and saw a small notepad on the bedside table. I picked it up and grabbed a pencil out of Nick's guitar case. I wrote as I played and found a good rhythm. It wasn't finished, but it was pretty good. I sighed and closed my eyes to breathe. It was good enough for now, so I put the pencil and his guitar back in the case and the notepad on the bedside table. After I closed the case up, I stood and slowly made my way to put it where it was again. As I was bending over to set it gently on the ground, I got a particularly sharp stab of pain that knocked me off my feet.

I tried to bite my lip but I cried out in pain and hit the floor with a muted thud. I vaguely heard the door open as I curled up and gave in to the blackout sensations.


End file.
